1. Show up consistently and on time.
This seems basic, yet an online survey conducted by CareerBuilder showed 32% of workers have called in sick when they were not actually ill. Another 16% were late for work at least one time per week and 27% arrived late for work at least once a month. Make sure you are willing to commit your time when you apply for a job. Showing up consistently and on time gets noticed, thanks to the stark contrast from mediocre colleagues who don’t.
2. Know the Work Culture and Adapt.
Organizational culture is a set of rules for working together and includes organization values, visions, and working language. It is made up of shared beliefs, attitudes, and underlying assumptions. Are you working in a tech company, a corporate office, a law firm, in the arts, or at a hospital? Is everyone on first-name basis or are titles and surnames expected to be used? Are you an expatriate working overseas? Do your homework and be observant about protocols and dress codes, especially if you meet with clients. Don’t settle for mediocre attire or casual behavior.
3. Understand that the work place is for work and behave accordingly.
Looking forward to your Friday night out with friends? Fine, but don’t make that an excuse to delay or interrupt your work with excited phone conversations or messages. Keen to confirm hotel reservations for a weekend holiday? Call during your lunch break. There’s work-life balance and then there’s obsessing with fun while at work. Be persistent with work focus. When you make an effort to be fully present, you avoid making mistakes and gain credibility. As a side benefit, you won’t get job-related phone calls after work and can be fully present having fun.
4. Be a team player and learn to compromise.
When asked to give my opinion about a potential new team member who was a former colleague, I was quick to give a rundown of skills. Then came the follow-up question, “Yes, but do you think she will fit in with the team?” I had to pause before replying to that one. Interpersonal skills outrank other skills. You could be a celebrated chef, but if your team is performing poorly in fear of your next pot-throwing tantrum, guess who gets shown the door. Yes, it’s the person who causes problems regularly and who may also happen to be overpaid. A team player is willing to compromise. He or she understands about sharing ideas and credit, about taking turns with talking and listening, and with being on and off duty. In team selection, a person who gets along well with others is chosen over the highly skilled but difficult individual, who drops to below mediocre in terms of desirability. Be a person who can work well in different teams.
5. Communicate effectively; repeat and check.
Verbal communication ability is at the top of the list of 10 skills employers look for. This comes from a University of Kent summary of surveys by Microsoft, the BBC, and other organizations. The consequences from misunderstandings at work range from loss of revenue and damaged credibility, to fatal results in hospital or military settings. The most common source of miscommunication comes from what social psychologist Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson calls the “I’m Sure It Was Obvious” effect. We believe we are expressing ourselves clearly and obviously to others, but this is often not the case. Stop being mediocre; never assume. Say instructions clearly, ask the other person to repeat, and check that the task is being done as instructed. If you are on the receiving end of instructions, always ask questions, update on progress, and advise about job completion.
6. Do more than expected and don’t settle for mediocre.
Whether you are asked to compile a list of names, emails, and phone numbers, prepare a handover report, or organize a convention, go the extra mile. Instead of just submitting contact details, add websites too. Categorize them by industry, color code them, and present them alphabetically. Include recommendations in your handover report and tie them up with departmental goals. Suggest a theme for the convention and offer a list of relevant suppliers. Doing more than expected benefits the company. You also gain knowledge, develop new skills, and won’t ever be considered mediocre.
7. Think with Innovation, Creativity, and Flexibility.
The Flux Report (2014) is a survey of 250 line managers and 100 HR decision makers for organizations with over 500 employees in the U.K. and Ireland. It lists these three attributes among employee skills that need to be developed to drive company growth. The report also states employees are expected to have multiple simultaneous careers by 2018, with more than half on temporary contracts or working as contractors or freelancers. Now is the time to invest in yourself. Keep informed about industry trends, update your skill set, and apply these in improving your work. When you’re open to new ways of doing things, you will never be made “redundant” at work. In any workforce, there are those who are perfectly content with satisfactory work ratings, and that’s totally fine. But if you want a work performance evaluation that matches your glowing resume, these attitude adjustments will get you those superlatives! Featured photo credit: Dread Pirate Jeff via flickr.com
